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Take 5: Saul Steinberg x the Eameses, a Controversial Candle, Plant Food + More

Aug 15, 2023 By Admin in Design

After meeting in 1950, the iconic 20th century artist and designers lit a creative fire, feeding off of one another. Currently sitting on my coffee table is this book that pulls all of the best Saul Steinberg- and Charles and Ray Eames-related artifacts and ephemera (archival photographs, artwork, and an essay from Steinberg scholar and curator Francesca Pellicciari) from the free online exhibition of the same name. The exhibit and resulting book draw from the Eames Institute’s archives – they even include a fake diploma Steinberg created for Charles since he never graduated from architecture school!

If you’re expecting saccharine sweetness, you won’t find it here. Rather divisive among candle lovers, this collaborative scent lies somewhere in between Magnolia’s classic banana pudding and a moody, smokey, and refined vibe. The sweet banana and vanilla you might automatically think of have been softened, and the undertones of guaiac and leather kicked up a notch. Cardamom and elemi resin add the final notes. Love it or not, this is a great collaboration.

I’ve mentioned before how much I prefer using indoor/outdoor rugs in my home, simply because they wear so much better. Pappelina’s high quality Swedish rugs fall into that category, so I went for it by replacing my worn kitchen runner with the Belle Reversible Rug seen here. Made of 100% certified PVC, the hand loomed piece doesn’t shed and is water and UV resistant. It has the slightest give as you walk over it, adding a nice cushion when I’m standing at the sink washing dishes or cooking on the range. Because it’s so easy to clean, this might just be the brand for those of you on the fence about having a rug in the kitchen!

A few of my indoor plants really struggled last winter, leading me down the path of plant food and fertilizers. The sustainability behind Flourish’s Organic Plant Food really called to me with it’s formulation of macro- and micronutrients derived from discarded fish and corn. (No, it doesn’t smell like fish.) The blend of essential nutrients and microbes help sustain healthy plants during leafy growth and the early stages of flowering or fruiting. It’s concentrated, so all you’ll need is an 8-ounce vessel to combine it with water. Use it every time you water or notice new growth popping up.

There’s such a sense of possibility when buying new travel gear! One piece I find a necessity is a sturdy weekender that can be grabbed at a second’s notice for an adventure or lazy retreat. But the thing is that I still want to be somewhat organized, which is what drew me to this new bag from Quince. Available in three leather options, it’s designed with three zippered compartments as well as pockets to stash toiletries, jewelry, and more. Metal feet protect its bottom from dirt, while a removable, adjustable shoulder strap provides multiple carrying options. I think it’s time to pack up!

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

2023 International Portrait Photographer of the Year

Aug 15, 2023 By Admin in Photography

Destroy Together

The Spring Festival is a major traditional festival among Chinese people. In Deqing County, Zhaoqing, China, on the 15th day of the first lunar month, people take turns lighting firecrackers and throwing “lions” until the lions are blown to pieces, praying for peace in all seasons and abundant grain.

Photograph: Haikun Liang

Art Gallery: Juanita Growing Thunder

Aug 15, 2023 By Admin in Native

The artwork of Native American artist Juanita Growing Thunder is more than just a form of expression. It’s a celebration of family tradition.

For Native American artist Juanita Growing Thunder, art is a family tradition and responsibility. Renowned for her traditional Plains Indians beaded artwork, she was born into a world where beaded belt buckles, shoes, and clothing were as common as milk and eggs. The daughter of a Sisituwan/Wahpetuwan Dakota and Wadopana Tuwa Nakoda (Assiniboine) mother, Growing Thunder says some of her first memories are of being surrounded by art and watching her mother weave colorful little beads into patterns that had meaning for her tribe.

“I remember my mother doing beadwork in the car when we traveled all over the West to go to art shows and museums,” Growing Thunder says. “I think that if you grow up this way, and you see someone doing this every day, and that’s the way they live their life, then it becomes the way you live your life, right?”

Nature, nurture, destiny.

Walking This Good Way of Life Together, 2022, smoked moose hide, rawhide, otter pelt, wool, porcupine quills, beads, bells, thimbles, silk ribbon, ermine skin, horse hair, brass sequins, and pigment, hide, beads, wool, cloth, and yarn, 1995.

An award-winning and honored artist who has shown at dozens of galleries and museums throughout her career, Growing Thunder is second-generation Dakota and Nakoda from the Buffalo Nation. Her work consists of traditional Northern Plains clothing and accessories adorned with beadwork and porcupine quill embroidery, as well as soft sculpture figure dolls. Immersed in the art of her people, Growing Thunder and her family are culture bearers.

Growing Thunder was born in 1969 in Castro Valley, California. Her Irish father, Jim Fogarty, was a Western art painter studying at the California College of Arts and Crafts (now California College of the Arts) in Oakland when he met and fell in love with Joyce Growing Thunder, who was living at the Dakota and Nakoda reservation in northeast Montana.

“When he met my mother in Montana and brought her directly from the reservation to California, she said she didn’t know what a taco was. She grew up very impoverished on our reservation and went directly into the 1960s Bay Area lifestyle,” Growing Thunder says. “She was immersed into the art world right away, and I grew up spending the summers in museums and going to art shows and Western art shows.

“We got to know a lot of Native American Indian art collectors, and my mom was beading every day.”

Growing Thunder began beading with her mother and making her own little beaded items starting at age 6. But it wasn’t until some friends convinced Joyce to enter the Santa Fe Indian Art Market in 1985 that the art world opened up for her and her mother.

“Until that time, my mother had never sold anything or made anything like that for sale. She always made things just for friends and family — she made like 300 to 500 belt buckles for friends,” Growing Thunder says. “So we went to the [Santa Fe] Indian Art Market, and she won Best of Show that year.”

Hismasma, 2021, buffalo and deer hide, sinew, trade cloth, glass seed beads, porcupine claws and human hair.

For the first time, Joyce Growing Thunder realized she could sell her art; that same year, Juanita joined the Santa Fe art market as a youth entrant alongside her mother. By submitting her own beadwork in the youth category, she gained valuable experience not just as an artist but as a representative of her culture. “That just opened up the whole Native American Indian art world to us, because Mom realized she could make a living and help support me and my four brothers. The art market was good for me, too. Some of the judges were so helpful with me as I was learning. They would say, ‘You really need to get this right — you’re representing your people.’ That really helped me grow.”

Since that first show in 1985, Growing Thunder has earned numerous awards at the Santa Fe Indian Market. Her work has also been included in museum exhibitions, most recently, Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists as well as Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women’s Dresses and A Song for the Horse Nation, both curated by Emil Her Many Horses from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. She created the Growing Thunder Collective to showcase the work of her family, which now includes her daughters, granddaughter and nieces. Their work was shown in the traveling exhibition The Plains Indians: Artists of Earth and Sky.

In addition to traditional Plains Indian beadwork, Growing Thunder is known for soft-sculpture figure dolls that emulate historical Oceti Sakowin attire. While the traditional dolls have soft bodies, Growing Thunder says she has evolved the style over the years, through circumstance, to become free-form standing figures and a new art form. Her soft-sculpture work earned her the honor of being one of five artists featured in the exhibition Grand Procession: A Collection of Contemporary Native American Soft Sculpture.

“My work enables me to practice our women’s traditions that embrace artistic expression,” says Growing Thunder, who still lives with and beads alongside her mother in Northern California.

“I’ve learned from my mother, who learned from her grandmothers and their grandmothers stretching seven generations back.” In turn, she has instilled these teachings in her daughters, Jessa Rae and Camryn, both of whom have become award-winning artists, as well as her niece Paytyn Growing Thunder. Her oldest daughter started creating and selling her pieces when she was 3 years old, and now Growing Thunder’s 3-year-old granddaughter, Nuna, is already stringing beads and making things.

Beaded Pad Saddle, 1995, hide, beads, wool, cloth, and yarn.

“Everything is usually just focused on my mother and me, and that’s not what it’s about. Our entire family has fantastic artistic skills, and we want to be able to showcase them. We also hope that we’re encouraging young people to do the same thing and firing up our people to carry on the traditional arts.”

Growing Thunder will be showing for her 38th year at the Santa Fe Indian Art Market this August, surrounded by her daughters and nieces, who have also taken up the mantle of beaded Native American art through the Growing Thunder Collective.

It’s a huge honor to be a culture bearer, Growing Thunder says. “That was something that my mother has always stressed to me and my daughters and my nieces and my nephews. It’s very important to represent our people as well as we can and do the best that we can with that. Being a beadworker and quillworker is who I am. I spend every day creating work that honors our traditions and culture in hopes that my work will help preserve future generations’ connection to their culture.”

See Juanita Growing Thunder’s work at the 2023 Santa Fe Indian Market, August 19 – 20. Her soft sculptures are also on view permanently in Grand Process: Contemporary Plains Indian Dolls from the Charles and Valerie Diker Collection at the Heard Museum in Phoenix.

This article appears in our August/September 2023 issue, available on newsstands or through our C&I Shop.

Photographer Captures Rare Red Sprites in the Night Sky Above Arizona

Aug 15, 2023 By Admin in Photography

A photographer looking for storms to capture instead caught the sight of rare red lightning sprites in the night sky above Arizona.

Greg McCown was leading a storm photo tour on June 16 and on the day there were no storms. So, McCown took the group to Windy Point on top of Mount Lemmon.

“A large storm moved clear down in Mexico about 150 miles south of our position at Windy Point lining up perfectly with the Milky Way core,” explains McCown. “After some instruction on how to photograph sprites, most in our group were able to catch these elusive gems.”

What are Sprites?

Sprites, a phenomenon only discovered about 20 years ago, are upper atmospheric discharges from lightning. They occur some 50 miles above thunderstorms, appearing moments after a lightning strike.

The sudden red flash can take a range of shapes. A very rare form of Sprite is an ELVE, which is also the largest as well as the rarest and you must be very far away from the thunderstorm it is generated from to see one. Photographer Valter Binotto captured one in Italy back in March.

“I’ve photographed them about five times before,” McCown tells PetaPixel. “As soon as we saw the big storm down in Mexico on radar we knew we had a good chance.”

McCown used a Nikon Z6 and a 50mm lens to capture the Sprites from the top of Mount Lemmon while most of the participants in his tour used their various cameras to capture the phenomena.

“The city lights you do see are the far east side of Tucson. Dark nights and clear skies with a distant storm are the best conditions to see/photograph them,” explains McCown.

McCown operates Storm Photo Tours along with John Sirlin and does all types of photography workshops although their specialty is storms.

In May and June, their workshops are out in the plains while in July and August it’s monsoon season.

More of McCown’s work can be found on his Instagram and website.

Image credits: All photos by Greg McCown.

Take A Look At Ancient Sculptures Finally Restored To Full Color After Centuries

Aug 15, 2023 By Admin in Sculpture

In the ancient world, sculpture was not the pristine white we commonly see in museums, but rather brightly colored.

British Automotive History Colors These KEF LS60 Wireless Lotus Edition Speakers

Aug 15, 2023 By Admin in Design

Audio manufacturer KEF and automotive brand Lotus’ association with British performance within their respective realms make for an interesting, if not natural, partnership. KEF have already lent the performance-oriented automaker their engineering team’s expertise, with the same audio experts responsible for the brand’s flagship premium loudspeakers powered by their signature Uni-Q driver array, Shadow Flare, Uni-Core, and 3D surround sound outfitting the vehicles with systems capable of an immersive aural experience. But now with the KEF LS60 Wireless Lotus Edition Speakers, one does not have to consider the partnership a one-way street.

The first installment of a collection of KEF x Lotus products for the home, the floor standing LS60 Wireless Lotus Edition brings over the same specs as the first LS60 launched back in 2022. The only changes are visual, rather than anything specifically auditory, with differences limited specifically to a golden hued Lotus logo and of course, the hue most commonly associated with British motoring culture: British Racing Green. Beyond these details, the system remains a handsome example of the work of KEF collaborator and industrial designer Michael Young, the same designer responsible for the much smaller KEF LSX wireless bookshelf speakers.

It is worth mentioning while Lotus is historically British in origin, the brand is now majority owned by Chinese multinational Geely, the same group responsible for steering the route for Volvo Cars, Polestar, Lynk & Co, Proton, and their own stable of vehicles under its own branding such as Geely Auto, Geometry, Maple, and Zeekr. KEF on the other hand remains a staunchly British affair, with product development, research, and manufacturing of the brand’s signature products still stationed in the original Maidstone headquarters based in England.

Like most special editions, these emerald speakers come attached to a premium. While others will undoubtedly become green with envy upon spying this audio system stationed in your listening space, you’ll have to part with a chunk of green yourself, $7999.99 to be exact. For a thousand less, you can compromise for a standard blue, titanium, or white option.

Gregory Han is the Managing Editor of Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Whimsical Creatures, Mechanics, and Celestial Details Collide in Ori Toor’s Frenzied Illustrations

Aug 15, 2023 By Admin in Art World News

“TJF.” All images © Ori Toor, shared with permission

Tucked in the cramped confines of a rectangular form, the lively and fantastical illustrations of Tel Aviv-based artist Ori Toor (previously) are suffused with chaotic energy. Set on solid backdrops, the works are a frenzied mishmash of overlapping mechanical components, cartoonish characters, and natural elements like flowers with faces or pill-shaped planets. Toor plays with scale and perspective in a way that creates several winding narrative paths throughout each piece, along with seemingly endless visual intrigue.

While the artist often works digitally, he shares that he’s returned to doodling in ink in his sketchbooks. “It’s something I used to do all the time but suddenly stopped a few years ago. It’s a lot of fun and takes off the pressure of posting everything you make—when it’s on the computer, it’s already one step away from Instagram—but still very challenging,” he says. “Things look different when you can’t use undo.”

Toor was recently commissioned to illustrate a map of the multiverse for the collector’s edition of A24’s award-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once, in addition to a soothing, black-and-white piece for WeTransfer’s new coloring book. He currently has a limited-edition print available through Massbase and a few other works on Society6. You can follow his latest illustrations on Behance and Instagram.

on a beige-orange backdrop, a chaotic mishmash of cartoon characters, mechanics, and flowers

“GHFHJ”

on a blue backdrop, a chaotic mishmash of cartoon characters, mechanics, and natural details all tucked in a puffy pink cloud

“Inside the Flamingo Cloud”

on a purple grid backdrop, a chaotic mishmash of cartoon characters, mechanics, and natural details with a large hand descending toward the right

“Plant Friends”

on a blue backdrop, a chaotic mishmash of cartoon characters, mechanics, and planetary details

“Ride”

on a black backdrop, a chaotic mishmash of cartoon characters, mechanics, and natural details with a moon at the top and a drippy, tendril like form in the center

“Salads”

on a blue backdrop, a chaotic mishmash of cartoon characters and a dog near the bottom

“Dogwalking Machine”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Whimsical Creatures, Mechanics, and Celestial Details Collide in Ori Toor’s Frenzied Illustrations appeared first on Colossal.

David VanderSchee Navigates the Path of Photography Skill Development

Aug 15, 2023 By Admin in Photography

David VanderSchee is a hobby photographer who enjoys snapping shots of wildlife in their unedited, natural form. In the following article, David VanderSchee takes readers through developing skills in photography, ensuring every hobbyist or amateur can take professional grade photos of their favorite things.

Every great professional photographer was once an amateur.

As a child, acclaimed food photojournalist Derek Pfohl honed his craft while hanging out in his parent’s restaurant, snapping photos of the intricate plates leaving the kitchen. Anne Geddes, known for her fantastic baby photography, was self-taught – she created a portfolio of family photos before opening her first studio.

Legend Ansel Adams received his first camera at 14 on a family trip to Yosemite National Park.

The art of photography is never mastered overnight. It takes experience and patience, passion, and creativity. Developing the essential skills is challenging, but above all, it’s exciting!

Smartphones have turned nearly everyone into an amateur photographer, but they can also reveal what kind of shutterbug one may be.

David VanderSchee explains that if an interest in photography goes beyond the standard selfie or vacation pictures, spend some time looking through a personal camera roll. Are there certain subjects that are commonly shot? Is it nature? Landscapes? Portraits of friends?

Basic photography skill then moves to knowing one’s camera well. For those interested in moving past the smartphone and into a professional type of camera should know the ins and outs of the lenses, shutter speeds, and how the aperture works. Not all zoom lens cameras are the same – do extensive research and be sure to choose the best camera for the job.

Snapping wildlife photos will require a larger zoom lens with a faster shutter speed and wide aperture, compared to what’s needed for say, still photos, or more controllable objects, such as people or still landscapes. Budding photographers should spend time trying out different focuses and exposures to get the shot they want.

David VanderSchee provides one final assignment: When first learning to take photos, one should spend time shooting what they love, whether that’s photographing a pet or the flowers in the yard.

An understanding of how a camera works and its unique features is just the beginning. Now it’s time to practice. Try all a camera’s buttons, bells, and whistles. Read through the camera’s manual at least twice – it’s even recommended to keep the manual handy, in the camera case as a quick reference guide when needed. Try shooting photos in different conditions with the goal of having them all be of the same quality or sharpness.

David VanderSchee provides more essential tips below:

Explore Others’ Work

Just as artists appreciate other artists and writers learn from fellow writers, photographers can learn a lot from other photographers. Many professional photographers maintain a portfolio online, and that’s a great place to start for photographers to get a strong sense of different techniques and what cameras are capable of capturing.

David VanderSchee notes that photography blogs don’t just post photos but usually offer tips on how to use a camera well in different settings among other important information. Such blogs can function as free, regularly updated textbooks for budding photographers and a way to keep up with the best new photography trends.

Many community centers host photography workshops that can be invaluable sources of advice and inspiration — and great ways to put new skills and styles to practice. Such workshops are a fantastic way to connect with other photographers and learn about job opportunities or internships.

Be Distinctive and Try New Things

David VanderSchee says that amateur photographers usually have a favorite professional or shot they follow, so it’s tempting to shoot the same objects or scenery as those they admire — and shoot them in similar ways. Instead, try different angles and compositions that set one’s work apart from the thousands of professionals (and amateurs) on Instagram.

Think of new ways to get images of popular subjects and scenery. It’s one of the biggest ways to grow technically and creatively.

Find the Light

David VanderSchee says that the power of photography often rests on its use of light or shadow. Taking a good photo means not only using light effectively but studying it, too. How does light change during the day and rest on subjects in unique ways?

Those looking to develop photography skills should practice taking photos in different lighting environments, analyzing them, and tweaking techniques as needed through a camera’s settings.

Don’t Forget the Background

First comes light, then comes background. Every photographer has to factor in what’s known as “mergers,” an array of elements that can create distractions in photos, such as background items like telephone poles or signs, or other people passing by.

It’s important to develop an awareness of these mergers and move their focus (or themselves) in different angles to effectively avoid them. (It’s much easier to avoid an unwanted merger than edit it from the picture once it’s there – plus, it’s less time consuming to take that extra step or angle in the first place).

Volunteer

David VanderSchee notes that photographers are always in demand, especially for weddings, graduations, family portraits, and countless other needs. When starting out, volunteering services for such events is the perfect way to practice new skills and begin to establish a professional portfolio. Start with events for friends and family, gathering a familiar client base.

Photography is a difficult industry to break into, but getting the most experience possible and earning a solid reputation comes much quicker when one commits to putting their name out there — even for little or no pay at first.

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Racism in Early Color Photography

Aug 15, 2023 By Admin in Photography

Doku | Die Erfindung des Rassismus in Farbe — Image: WDR

During his travels, from 1907 to 1909, he photographed the German colonies — in color, for the first time. In doing so, he laid the photographic foundations of racism.

The young photographer‘s trip to the German colonies of Togo, Cameroon, German Southwest Africa (now Namibia) and German East Africa (now Tanzania) was taken at the height of German imperialism. In his photographs of his travels, Robert Lohmeyer generated enthusiasm for these distant lands that Germany considered its possessions.

Making use of the most up-to-date photographic equipment at the time, Lohmeyer’s project was a meticulously planned PR campaign. Its goal? A celebration of colonialism and empire.

Lohmeyer’s resulting photography books were seen by huge numbers of people. Even today, the pictures are still in circulation. Lohmeyer’s photos convey the image of a “peaceful savage” in a paradisiacal landscape. A colonial idyll.

Because the images are in color, they evoke a feeling of authenticity and truthfulness. War, disease, hunger and death do not appear in Lohmeyer’s pictures.

Based on unpublished written sources and photographs, the documentary follows Lohmeyer’s journey. It tells the story of a chapter in the history of photography. But it also tells the story of a propaganda coup. Finally, the film explores Lohmeyer’s contribution to a new kind of racism — in color – the effects of which can still be felt today.

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More Is Merrier With the Modular Case Study® Furniture Fjord Series

Aug 15, 2023 By Admin in Design

We love all things modular and we love Case Study® – so the two together are truly a dream come true. The new Case Study® Furniture Fjord series from Modernica is a modular seating system with individual components that can be joined together endlessly. Create lounge chairs with or without arms, while two corner modules form a loveseat. You can even execute a modern take on the retro “sofa pit!” There’s also the option for different seat heights by simply stacking two modules together. The versatility is incredible and the overall design even better.

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Each module in the family is detachable, and features an extremely strong internal structure that’s lined with high resilience HR28 foam for maximum support and long-term durability. In other words, it’s ready to handle whatever you – and life – throw its way. The Case Study® Furniture Fjord series is manufactured from raw materials in Modernica’s California factory. All modules are upholstered in the fabric of your choice, then finished by hand.